Thinking about buying? We at Rutledge Properties offer many fine listings in Wellesley, Weston, Needham, Dover and Sherborn. After doing a search of properties on our website, contact us and we'd be happy to show you homes that you wish to see.

A satisfactory home closing involves working with experts who know their field. Here at Rutledge Properties we can boast top-of-the-line agents who have your best interests at heart. Visit our website for more information and check out our current listings. You could close on your dream home sooner than you think!

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While there are no guarantees in the housing market, there are some key strategies home owners can use to sell their property quickly.

Start with the right price

Find out how much your house is worth, and then reduce that number by 15 to 20 percent. This may feel like a risk, but it is a tried-and-true way to get fast, multiple offers on a home in pretty much any housing market.

Get the right broker – and listen to them

Play the agent field and make sure you find a broker that is informed, professional and embraces technology. Your broker should be an expert on your market, and should have many different tools at his or her disposal to get your house sold – so be sure to listen to their advice and heed their experience.

Rutledge Properties features cream-of-the-crop agents determined to present your home in the best light. You can be assured that your home is in good hands with a Rutledge agent. Visit our About page for more about our agents.

Focus on first impressions

Buyers will judge your property before they even step foot into it, so first impressions are everything. Over 80% of home buyers first view a home online, making this step crucial for getting buyers in the door. Spend some time staging the house properly and invest in some professional photography to make sure the property makes an impact online. Photos should be bright and well-composed.

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Experts across the country agree that there was a recovery in the real estate market in 2013 and that is certainly what Wellesley experienced. Our October 2013 results were the highest since 2006, a remarkable feat given that the economic uncertainty due to the government shutdown almost eliminated any market activity for half the month. Overall, 2013 was characterized by brisk sales, bidding wars and eager buyers.

What will 2014 bring? The quiet that we typically experience in the winter months will probably not occur in winter 2014. The 2014 'spring' market has had an early start with tight inventory looking like it will again be the main story of the year. Determined buyers who have not succeeded because of the low inventory in the summer and fall seasons are actively touring each new property that comes on the market. Mortgage rates, although higher than they were six months ago, may be lower than they will be this spring.

Both Redfin and Zillow predict that home prices will rise anywhere from 3% - 5% in 2014. If this occurs, it is likely that more homes will be put on the market. The tight inventory that dictated so much of the 2013 real estate activity will hopefully return to more traditional levels.

Mortgage rates are also expected to rise in 2014, maybe even as high as 5%. If this happens, it will likely spur home owners who have been on the fence about selling their home to enter it in the market. Higher mortgage rates will slow refinancing which will ultimately make getting a loan much easier for buyers, especially new buyers. Even if rates rise to 5% though, experts are quick to assert that's still a low mortgage rate. "Prior to the Federal Reserve's 2008 decision to buy $85 billion in debt per month, the 36-year average was 9.2%, and never below 5.8%" points out Glen Kelman, CEO of Redfin.

The other predictions for 2014 include: fewer homeowners will be underwater, affordability will decline, ownership will decline, Americans will move, foreclosures will fade and the home buying process will be less crazed.